Device and method for price marking



Oct. 30, 1934.

' B. MACFADDEN 1,979,164

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PRICE MARKING v Filed April 7, 1952 FEBRUARY Z? @Ruc la Z 11 ssuE UVCZZVTOK Aroma-z).

Sp@@i@/ K Patented Oct. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to methods and means or devices for price marking and more particularly to means for marking the prices on magazines and controlling the sales thereof, .though it is noted that in some of the claims the invention is not limited to magazine or publications nor in some respects even to price marking.

One object of the invention is to provide a 'control'means whereby the expense and loss of returning unsold magazines is practically eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and means for rendering unsold magagines temporarily unsalable and crediting news dealers with the unsold magazine without the expense of returning the magazine to the publisher.

Another object of the invention is to provide 1 a means for rendering the unsalable magazines again salable after the unsold magazines are again charged to the dealer, as at a reduced price.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved price label combined with the unsalable unsold magazine for rendering the magazine salable, displaying a new special price in a prominent attractive manner, and hiding the old price mark.

Other objects of the invention are to improve generally the simplicity and efliciency of such means and methods and to provide a device of this kind which is economical and reliable in its operation.

Still other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described in the specification and some of the claims, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims.

' The inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objects are shown herein in connection with an improved sales controlling and price indicatingcombination which, briefly stated, includes a magazine page having a cutaway space adjacent to the price mark of the magazine to form a creditslip adapted to fit in said space and complete the outline of the page and having printed thereon the magazine date and a portion of the title, and a special price label adapted to be pasted over said space and the old price mark for completing the outline of the page and having printed thereon a difierent special price mark and indicia indicating a special issue of the magazine.

By means of this combination the sale of the magazine may be controlled as will be explained hereinafter.

While in this specification and claims mention is made of the certain parts of magazine cover pages, it is understood that these words are used for designation and description and that for pu.'- poses of protection they are to be construed broadly enough to cover other devices than publications or devices having pages, and in general the terms of the broader claims are to be given broad interpretation, for the purposes of broad protection, when possible.

In the accompanying drawing, showing by way of example, one of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Figure 1 shows a fragment of a magazine page suitable for applying my improved price control and indicating means and method;

Figure 2 shows a fragment of the cover page rendered unsalable by cutting the credit slip therefrom;

Figure 3 shows the credit slip;

Figure 4 shows the special price label; and

Figure 5 shows the page after the magazine is again rendered salable by attachment of said label.

My improved means and method of pricemarking unsold magazines is shown in connection with a magazine having a rectangular artistic front cover page 10 having a title 11 printed across its upper part and having indicia 12, 13 indicating the regular price 12 and the date 13 printed in the upper right hand corner portion 14.

The magazines as thus described are sent out by the publisher or distributor to the news stands and local news dealers, where the magazines are to be sold, such stands and local dealers being then charged with the magazines in the usual way. Such magazines as are sold are paid for in the usual way.

Heretofore it has been the custom for the dealers to return all of the unsold magazines, thus entailing considerable shipping expense, and considerable loss from the unsold magazines and'their subsequent disposal. The main object of the present invention is to eliminate or greatly reduce these expenses and losses.

By means of my invention the necessity of returning the unsold magazines is eliminated. Instead of returning the unsold magazine, the dealer merely cuts off from the unsold magazine the part of said corner portion that has the date 13 and a part 15 of the title 11 thereon, thereby mutilating and rendering the magazines unsalable, thus providing a triangular credit slip 13 (Figure 3) which will identify the magazine, because of said part 15 of the title, which slip may be returned to the publisher, thus indicating that the magazine is unsold and now unsalable because of the mutilation.

Thereupon the publisher sends out to the local dealer, in place of each slip, a rectanglar gummed price label 20 (Figure 4), which may be artistically contrasting with said cover page 10 and is large enough to cover the space 21 left by the cut-off slip 18 and has printed thereon indicia 22, 23 indicating a special reduced price 22 for the magazine and that the magazine is now a special reduced priced issue.

When the slips are thus received and the labels sent out, the news dealer is credited with the original price of the magazine (as indicated at 12) and is charged with said reduced price (indicated at 22) or is merely credited with the difference between said prices.

When the local dealer receives the labels, he sticks or pastes the label on the front cover page in position (as in Figure 5) to cover said cut-out space 21 and the original price 12 and the position of the date 13, the label being secured in position to complete the original rectangular boundary of the page 10 and form an artistic whole with the page, and an attractive setting for the new special price mark 22.

The local dealer then sells the magazines at L the new special price, any still unsold being returned to the publisher in the usual way.

By means of my above described price marking means and method, a large amount of money is saved by eliminating or greatly reducing said above mentioned losses and expenses.

I claim as my invention:

'1. In combination, a magazine page on which a price mark was originally placed, said page having a cut-away space adjacent to the price mark of the magazine; and a label pasted over said space and price mark and completing the outline of the page and having thereon a different price mark and indicia indicating a special issue.

2. In combination, a sheet having identifying indicia, a price mark and a cut-away space adjacent'to the price mark; and a label pasted over said space and price mark having thereon a different price mark and additional indicia stating that the sheet is a special issue.

3. A method comprising cutting off, from a sheet a portion adjacent to a price mark and including a date mark and indicia identifying the sheet, thereby to form a cut-away space and a slip including said date mark and indicia; and securing over said space and price mark a label having printed thereon a new price and a statement.

4. In combmation, a magazine having a rectangular cover provided with an artistic front cover page having a part of the magazine title printed across its upper part and having a price mark printed in the upper right hand corner portion of the page and having a part of said portion cut off near said price mark to provide an identifying edge and a cut-away space adjacent to the price mark and cutting off a portion of the title; and a rectangular gummed specialprice label artistically contrasting with said cover adhered over and covering said cut-away space and the original price; said label having indicia thereon indicating a special low price and that the magazine is a special priced issue, said label resulting in the multiple function of covering up said edge and the old price mark, displaying a new different price mark and completing the rectangular shape of the cover, covering a portion of the second sheet of the magazine and repairing the mutilation of the cut.

5. 'A method of price marking unsold magazines having a rectangular artistic front cover page having a title printed across its upper part and having a price mark indicating the regular price and the date printed in the upper right hand corner portion, said method comprising cutting off near said price mark, the part of said corner portion having the date and a part of the title thereon from the unsold magazin thereby simultaneously removing the date, mutilating and rendering the magazine unsalable, and forming an identifying edge, and a triangular slip having thereon the date and a part of the title and adapted to identify the individual magazineand to be returned to the publisher to indicate that the magazine is unsold and unsalable; and securing over said edge, price mark and the mutilated corner portion, a rectangular gummed price label artistically contrasting with said cover and large enough to cover and hide the price mark and the space left by said cut-off portion and having printed thereon a new price mark indicating a special reduced price and that the magazine is now a special reduced priced issue, thereby with one mechanical step of the method, simultaneously covering up the old price mark, displaying the new price mark, and completing the rectangular shape of the cover.

6. In combination, a magazine having a rectangular cover provided with an artistic front cover page having a part of the magazine title printed across its upper part and having an original price mark printed in the upper right hand corner portion of the page and having a part of said portion physically cut off near said price mark to provide an individual physical identifying edge and a cut-away space adjacent to the price mark and cutting off a portion of the title; and a rectangularigummed specialprice label artistically contrasting'with said cover and physically adhered over and physically covering said cut-away space and the original price mark; said label having indicia thereon indicating a special low price and that the magazine is a special priced issue, said label resulting in the multiple function of physically covering up said edge and the old price mark, physically dis-,- playing a new different price mark, physically completing the rectangular shape of the cover, physically covering a portion of the second sheet of the magazine and physically repairing the mutilation of the cut.

'7. A method of price-marking unsold magazines having a rectangular artistic front cover page having a title printed across its upper part and having a price park indicating the regular price and the date printed in the upper right hand corner portion, said method comprising cutting off near said price mark, the part of said. corner portion having the date and a part of the title thereon from the unsold magazine, thereby simultaneously physically removing the date, physically mutilating and rendering the magazine unsalable, and simultaneously physically forming an identifying material edge and a material triangular slip having thereon the date and a part of the title and adapted to identify the individual magazine and to be returned to the publisher to indicate that the magazine is unsold and unsalable; and securing over said. edge, price mark and the mutilated corner portion, a rectangular gummed price label, artistically contrasting with said cover and large enough to physically cover and. hide the price mark and the space left by said cut-oil portion and having printed thereon a new price marl: indicating a special reduced price and that the magazine is now a special reduced priced issue, thereby, With one physical mechanical step of the method simultaneously physically covering up the old price mark, physically displaying the new price mark, and physically completing the rectangular shape of the cover.

8. A method of price marking a printed publication including an exposed sheet having a portion containing a date mark, a price mark, and indicia identifying the sheet; cutting off a part of said portion, thereby to form a cut-away space and a slip including said date mark and indicia; and securing over said space and the original location of said price mark a label having printed thereon a new price mark and a statement stating that the publication is a special issue.

9. A method comprising, cutting off, from the cover page of a magazine, a portion adjacent to the price mark thereof and including the date and a portion of the title, thereby to form a cut-away space and a slip including said date and portion of the title; and securing over said space and price mark a label having printed thereon a new price and a statement that the magazine is a special issue.

BERNARR MACFADDEN. 

